Opinion 4

Maximizing productivity in a world addicted to screentime

The Emery Julie Heng | Staff Writer
The Student Publication of Huron High School Oh look, it happened again.
I know I said I’d be dutifully studying, plugging away at my calculus homework
before moving on to physics, but once again, the urge to check my phone arose, which led
Adviser to some gratuitous internet surfing and maybe some popcorn… and so here I am, finally
opening my textbook, only a few hours later than I had originally intended.
So goes the tale of multitasking and distractions for many of us: switching from
Sara-Beth Badalemente screen to screen to screen to screen, refreshing feeds every so often, focus flitting from the
task at hand to ever-more-tantalizing prospects, like rage-quittable phone games, endlessly
streaming cat videos on YouTube, et cetera. Yes, it happens to the best of us, but on a daily
basis?
Together, distractions and multitasking can be a deadly combination. The hurdles
Editor-in-Chief these two issues present are overwhelming, especially to teenagers, and they just happen to
go hand in hand.
Kara Kozma In this age of overwhelming technology, even having a phone face up on your
workspace could cause many problems. Common Sense Media reports that over 50 percent
of teens feel addicted to their devices.
What’s worse is that technology can actually change the way we think, and it’s
not necessarily for the better. Using devices has trained us to look up every other paragraph,
making 10 pages of reading for the night into a drudging chore. An everyday news briefing
Staff Editors becomes a full-length novel. The bombardment of technology simply puts too much on our
brains to process. We resort to short summaries on Sparknotes to fuel our education; we
Jack Harrison frown when a math problem poses steps a through e.
It’s no coincidence that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has
Samantha Ruud experienced a surge in recent years, parallel to the growth of technology use by children.
A study in the journal Pediatrics notes that children and young adults glued to
TV and video games are twice as likely to develop ADHD. According to Dimitri Christakis,
professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, ADHD is 10 times more
common than it was 20 years ago. Well, this only makes sense considering the increase of
distracting screentime we all incorporate into our daily schedules. Research shows that
Staff Writers the average students can spend nearly seven and a half hours using screens per day. That
amounts to nearly half your waking consciousness!
Let’s think about this… you wake up to the sound of your phone, and impulsively
Adela Buranova check it. You automatically find it in your hand anytime you’re traveling somewhere or
Amber Clark have an unplanned moment. A typical afternoon involves aimless surfing on your laptop or
tablet. And the last thing you see before bed? You guessed it.
Sydney Crispin-Pischea This is a serious epidemic that we need to address—clearly, spending time with
Micah Etchison nature is not just some meditative tree-hugger advice. It takes effort to filter out a constant
Yennifer Guerra-Pantaleon stream of notifications and information. Our brains need to slow down so that they can
adequately absorb what they need to learn and grow.
Katherine Gurgenian As for multitasking, it cannot be stressed enough how limited productivity
Gena Harris becomes when one multitasks. Everyone thinks they’ve secretly mastered the method to
multitask (me included), but studies from the BBC show that, when multitasking, your
brain decreases in functionality by over 40 percent. Juggling several checklists at once
clouds mental clarity and, in fact, prompts us to go slowly from one job to the next. It takes
an average of 10 minutes to fully “submerge” yourself into whatever task you are working
on, and the minute you click or look away, that concentration is broken. So theoretically,
it takes another 10 minutes for you to re-enter that focused zone that you inadvertently
veered away from.
Sometimes, even listening to music while you study can impede your maximized
efficiency. According to USA Today, music with lyrics is especially dangerous because the
presence of words and language automatically pulls away your focus into subconsciously
decoding and understanding the lyrical message. Experts say that the best bet, if music is a
must, would be classical music. The simple modulations and expected harmonies of Mozart
or Vivaldi can propel you along with work. If classical music is not your style, try to find
lyricless music from electronic artists or contemporary orchestral movie soundtracks.
Of course, another issue arises considering the use of music. Some students argue
that listening to music improves their homework focus. If this is true, then I argue that so
is the opposite: without music, concentration decreases. While taking an exam or stan-
dardized test, where music is obviously prohibited, will a student accustomed to a certain
beat fall out of rhythm? To this point, you must consider their ability to adapt in different
situations.
I had a friend who once claimed her best study playlist included was composed
of her favorite earworms. Her rationale was that she was so used to hearing the familiar
tunes that it better grounded her to her work. The truth was probably that she ended up
singing along, and the multitasking fundamentally dragged her productivity down.
In the end, it comes down to maximizing efficiency. For most people, that would
be turning off the monitors and shutting down the phone screen and making sure there is
enough quiet time to allow their brains to relax, one step at a time.
Additionally, perhaps it’s time to rethink your relationship with your phone.
After all, how often do you think about pulling out your phone, even if you don’t have a
specific purpose in mind to warrant doing so? Does having that comfortable weight in your
hand give you a sense a security or promote an unfortunate dependence? It may be neces-
sary to set a few personal restrictions depending on what distractions affect your produc-
tivity.
I’m not saying to delete Snapchat or anything, but consider having designated
times to send your streaks instead of being hyper-aware of each new notification. Don’t flip
from problem to problem across subjects. Try to knock out your homework assignments
one by one and intersperse them with breaks if necessary. It’s fine to take a breather as long
as you are aware of what to ultimately concentrate on.
I’m guilty of everything I write, by the way. I, too, am working on my produc-
tivity. (I have this terrible habit of scrolling through gifsets for hours while procrastinating
for major tests.) Together, we can all strive to improve ourselves and make the most of our
time.

What do sanctuary cities mean for the US?

Alexander Hassan
Julie Heng
Parker Hermanson
Cinthya Hernandez Conservative Corner is that Americans and legal immigrants on
Ritvik Jillala Jack Harrison | Staff Editor
Caitlin Kaleta Sanctuary cities. They break the
law. But is the issue really that simple?
Niyati Kellenberg- Almost 500 cities in America
Callewaert claim that they are designated sanctuary
Ivan Martin cities, and many more are on track to
declare themselves so. The term “sanctuary
Daniel Middaugh city” refers to a city that limits its cooper-
Takayla Pugh-Henderson ation with the immigration agenda of the
Jorge Rodriguez state and national governments. This, in
most cases, violates the law. However, we
Alyssa Salamin must ask ourselves two questions: Are city
Eilyn Sanabria officials aware their actions are illegal? And,
Austin Shepherd do the citizens in these cities accept this?
These cities violate the law and
Cierra Slater undermine the American people in several
Shannon Stocking ways. First, they violate the Supremacy
Sindy Vasquez Barahona Clause, which states that national law is the
supreme law of the land and thus overrides
Marshelle Walker contradictory state and city laws. Even
Patrick Wang as the current administration threatens
Anna Weigel to strip funding from these cities, many
mayors are vocal about their plans not to
George White cooperate. Though the administration’s
Ian Wilson threats may be empty, actions of these
officials remain illegal.
These cities also refuse to coop-
erate with Immigration and Customs En-
forcement and law enforcement to deport
illegal immigrants who commit crimes. This
is not only disgraceful for the administra-
tion but also dangerous for city residents.
Some of these criminal immigrants return
to these cities and face no consequences.
They are then free to commit more crimes,
and other individuals have lost their lives
because of this.
The Emery Staff Policy A major problem in these cities
the path to citizenship are not put first by
their community leaders. When the money
of hardworking American taxpayers goes
towards shelter and assistance for illegal
immigrants, it is simply not fair. Taxpayer
dollars should go towards projects and
programs that benefit the legal residents
of a city, the people who keep the city up
and running. Money should be allocated
to entitlement programs, road repairs and
public schools. Forbes notes that funding
for sanctuary cities accounted for 27 billion
dollars of the federal budget last year. This
money could have been used in many other
ways to benefit Americans. Many Demo-
crats have discussed providing some of the
illegal immigrants with healthcare, even
though Congress cannot work together
to provide comprehensive healthcare for
American citizens and legal residents.
As many of you know, almost all
sanctuary cities are controlled by liber-
al politicians. You have to wonder why
this is. Perhaps, city officials believe that
if they provide illegal immigrants with
refuge, those immigrants will reelect them.
Remember, very little has been done to
address voting reform, and Democrats often
avoid this topic. Perhaps this is why.
It is important to note that there
are always two sides to an issue. Many ille-
gal immigrants have clean records and come
to the U.S. seeking better lives for them-
selves and their families. As Americans,
we have to ask ourselves if we should be
denying people a chance at a life here when
they want to contribute to our economy
and are willing to work less desired jobs.
It is also important to examine
the logistics of the issue. Is it really possible
to deport all illegal immigrants? No, it is
not. More importantly, the cost of depor-
tation would not be a smart use of national
funds.
Government officials on both
sides of the issue are quick to criticize each
other, and it never seems to stop. If both
sides could come together and make com-
promises, a comprehensive solution could
be reached. Although I am not an elected
official, if given an opportunity, I would
propose the solution below.
My plan for solving this issue is as follows:
1. Within every sanctuary city, deport any
illegal immigrants who have committed
crimes. Mandate that city officials and
police departments cooperate with ICE and
federal law enforcement. If city officials re-
fuse, they will go on trial and face removal.
2. Cut all federal funding going towards
cities providing illegal immigrants safety.
Instead, allow each state legislature or city
council to decide budget logistics. Perhaps,
allow legal voters in every city to vote on
whether or not they agree with their city
classifying itself as a sanctuary city.
3. Any city that wishes to declare itself as
a new sanctuary city must be decided by a
specific date, such as Jan. 1, 2018. A permit
system will be created, and every sanctuary
city must request a renewal, which will
be granted if they show a record that only
illegal immigrants who have not committed
crimes are residing there. In addition, they
must provide a record that only 7.5% of an
individual’s taxes are going towards illegal
immigrants in the city.
4. All illegal immigrants who have not com-
mitted crimes can remain in that city, but
they cannot make up more than 10% of the
city’s population. These illegal immigrants
can apply for a pathway to citizenship,
though it will be selective.
Note: Since getting a correct count of the
number of illegal immigrants would be
difficult, a federal program would be cre-
ated for that purpose. Anyone who has not
committed a crime should not be fearful.
Now keeping all of this in mind,
do you think citizens living in sanctuary
cities approve of sanctuary cities? What
would you think if you were living in one?
Oh wait, you might just be soon.
In the past year, there has been
much discussion about whether or not
Ann Arbor will declare itself an official
sanctuary city. Often, sanctuary cities tend
to be very large, with more than a hundred
thousand residents. Although Ann Arbor is
home to many immigrants, illegal immi-
grants do not necessarily reside here. There
is always the risk that crime could increase
as studies have shown that there are higher
crime rates in sanctuary cities, as noted by
World Net Daily, News Now, American
Renaissance and other sources. It will be in-
teresting to see what happens in the future.
If you have any comments on
this issue or article, please contact me at
jack48105harrison@gmail.com.

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Students react to Take the Knee movement
Caitlin Kaleta | Staff Writer
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student body with insight
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area as well as information
regarding activities and
issues that affect the Huron
community.

“I think that they should be able to do it “They are just exercising a right, and they “I support it because there is a lot of police “I think it’s fantastic!”
without receiving such harsh comments should be more active with their beliefs brutality that isn’t being addressed. Protests
Our staff wants to hear the about it.” instead of just exercising a right.” are not as effective as they are intended to
voices at Huron. We encour- be, so this brought more attention to it.”
age you to write us letters Mishal Charania, freshman Carolyn Sackett, sophomore Imani Peterkin, junior Maranda Watts, senior
about what matters to you.
All letters must be deemed
publishable by our staff.
They should be 200 words or
less, and they may be edited
for content or length. All
letters to our staff must be
signed. Students may deliver
letters to room 4203 the
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“I think it’s anyone’s opinion on what they “I don’t care if other people do it, but I “I don’t care, it doesn’t have an impact on “I think it’s a good thing that it got so much
should do.” wouldn’t do it.” my life.” attention. As long as the issue is addressed,
people can protest how they see fit.”

Brayden MacBride, freshman Eliot Chi, sophomore Oliver Mayman, junior Kaleb Brabbs, senior